Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson has filed a lawsuit against network CEO Roger Ailes, alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The suit claims Carlson was fired after rejecting Ailes' sexual advances.
Carlson, who worked for the conservative-leaning network for 11 years, co-hosted 'Fox & Friends' before moving to her own show, 'The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson', in 2013. The lawsuit alleges that after she refused Ailes' advances, he reduced her compensation and withheld network support and promotion for her show.
According to the complaint, Ailes told Carlson, 'I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you'd be good and better and I'd be good and better.' He also allegedly claimed to have slept with three former Miss Americas, but not with her. The suit further alleges that Ailes instructed Carlson to turn around in his office so he could look at her backside, and that fellow anchor Steve Doocy treated her in a sexist and condescending manner, regarding her as a 'blond female prop'.
Carlson, who won the Miss America contest in 1989, previously wrote about a similar incident in her book 'Getting Real', where a television executive 'threw himself on top of [her] and stuck his tongue down [her throat]'. The lawsuit states that Ailes retaliated against Carlson for rejecting his advances and for complaining about harassment.
Ailes denies the allegations, calling the lawsuit 'defamatory' and 'wholly without merit'. He claims Carlson filed the suit in retaliation for not having her contract renewed. Fox parent company 21st Century Fox said it has full confidence in Ailes but will conduct an internal investigation.
